Department for Transport

Motorway Service Areas

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will implement the proposal set out on page 326 of the OECD Policy Roundtable on Competition in Road Fuel to introduce road signs displaying the price of petrol and diesel at motorway service stations in order to improve transparency and consumer choice.

Mr John Hayes: This Government knows the public is concerned about the price of petrol and diesel at Motorway Service Areas. Highways England is, on behalf of the Government, delivering an 18 month trial of four fuel comparison price signs on the M5 between Bristol and Exeter. The trial consists of four new electronic signs displaying real-time price information of petrol and diesel for the next three service areas along the route and commenced in Spring 2016. Monitoring and evaluation of the trial will determine the effectiveness of the new fuel comparison price signs in providing useful information to road users and in understanding the impact of improving fuel price transparency on driver behaviour and fuel prices at Motorway Service Areas.

Department for Transport: Research

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which reports commissioned by his Department from external bodies between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2016 have not yet been published; when each report was commissioned for research; what the nature of the research commissioned was; from which external body or individual person the research was commissioned; what the value was of each such piece of research commissioned; on what date each report was received by his Department; for what reasons the research has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish each report.

Mr John Hayes: The Department commissions a wide range of research to support its objectives. The general presumption is that research results used in the course of the Department’s business should be made available to broaden knowledge and better inform discussion. In a few circumstances (for instance, where the research relates to security matters or where the Department does not hold the necessary rights to publish) such information is not published; but such circumstances are exceptional. Information on publication of the outputs of this research is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Aviation: Mobile Phones

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government has issued guidance to the Aviation Authority on fire risks related to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

Mr John Hayes: The Civil Aviation Authority issued guidance on 9 September advising air travel passengers to ensure their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phones remain switched off for the duration of their flight. The guidance has also been drawn to the attention of aircraft operators.

Public Transport: Disability

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that public transport is adequately equipped for people with sensory loss.

Andrew Jones: The Government recognises how important improving access to public transport is for people with visual impairments and is committed to making transport more inclusive. Buses and coaches subject to the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) must incorporate a range of features to make bus travel more accessible for visually impaired people, including priority seating, colour-contrasting hand-holds and step edges, and destination blinds using clear typefaces. PSVAR applies to single-deck buses already, and double-deck buses must comply from 1st January 2017. The Bus Services Bill will specifically allow enhanced partnership schemes to require all buses within a local area to provide audible and visual next stop information. Authorities using the new franchising powers will be able to place similar requirements on affected operators. The Government has also agreed to consider amendments on this issue which were tabled during the Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords. We are also aware that positive interactions with bus drivers can make a big difference to the experience of visually impaired people taking the bus. We are working with the bus industry and disabled people to design best practice guidance in delivering disability awareness training which, we hope, will help to give bus drivers the skills and knowledge to assist every disabled passenger. The Government also intends to publish an Accessibility Action Plan for consultation by the end of the year which will present its ambition for further progress on this agenda.

Bus Services: Disability

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of talking buses in the UK.

Andrew Jones: Clear, accessible information can be very useful to a range of passengers when travelling by bus. Tourists, people new to a given route and those who are disabled may all feel more confident in the knowledge that they will know when to alight when the time comes. The Bus Services Bill will specifically allow enhanced partnership schemes to require all buses within a local area to provide such information. Authorities using the new franchising powers will be able to place similar requirements on affected operators. The Government has also agreed to consider amendments on this issue which were tabled during the Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords.

Railways: Compensation

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of those provisions in the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which relate to rail passengers claiming compensation.

Paul Maynard: We want to strengthen the rights of rail passengers to get compensation for poor service. The Consumer Rights Act will allow rail passengers to challenge compensation amounts awarded for delays and cancellations where the train operator is at fault. Train operators’ existing compensation schemes will continue to provide the main means of redress for passengers after 1 October 2016, when the Act comes into force for all transport providers. We will continue to work with train operators to improve their compensation schemes.

Highways England: Standards

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will introduce stronger key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of Highways England.

Mr John Hayes: The Government will review Highways England’s existing performance indicators and targets when setting the next Road Investment Strategy. As part of this process the Government will consider whether existing indicators and targets should be strengthened, and whether new indicators should be introduced.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Construction: Industry

Roger Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry legally-binding upon employers in the construction industry.

Jesse Norman: The Government has no plans to intervene in the National Agreements used in the engineering construction industry. These agreements are voluntary between employer trade associations and trade unions.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Pakistan: Religious Freedom

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on reports of the persecution of Christians and other minorities living in Pakistan.

Alok Sharma: We are concerned about continuing reports of abuses against Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. The Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their religion or beliefs. Our concerns are reflected in the latest update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual human rights report. We regularly raise our concerns about the protection of minority communities, including religious minorities, with the Pakistani Government at a senior level. In April, the previous Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Philip Hammond), raised the importance of safeguarding the rights of all minorities with Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs. It is encouraging that the Government of Pakistan has enacted legislation to protect religious minority groups. The United Kingdom continues to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to religious minorities, and to uphold the rule of law.

China: Religious Freedom

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on reports of the persecution of Christians and other minorities living in China.

Alok Sharma: The Government is concerned by restrictions placed on Christianity in China, such as the demolition of churches, the removal of crosses from buildings, and harassment or detention of individuals for their beliefs. The freedom to practise, change or share your faith or belief is a fundamental human right that all people should enjoy.We are robust in raising religious freedoms with the Chinese authorities. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness of Anelay of St Johns DBE, raised the destruction of churches and religious symbols with the Director of the National People’s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee on 7 July 2016. I also raised the case of Ding Cuimei, who reportedly died while protesting the demolition of her church in Zhejiang province, with the Chinese Ambassador on 1 August.

Dogs: Meat

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his global counterparts on cruelty in the global dog meat trade; and if he will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: The consumption of dog meat is legal in many countries, and the United Kingdom has no grounds to intervene or take trade measures to prevent this. We continue to make our views known to the governments of those countries where this practice continues; most recently I raised this issue with the South Korean Ambassador ahead of the Westminster Hall Debate on 12 September. Our Ambassador in Seoul has also raised the dog meat trade with the South Korean authorities, most recently on 1 September, highlighting our concerns about the treatment and welfare of animals. As I stated in the Westminster Hall Debate, it is promising that in countries where dog meat is consumed, there are signs that attitudes are changing amongst the young and emerging middle classes. We encourage that change.

Cabinet Office

Open Public Services

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the current work priorities are of the Open Public Services group.

Ben Gummer: The Open Public Services team in the Cabinet Office existed to deliver the Coalition Government's Open Public Services White Paper, published in 2011. The team's work came to a natural end with the end of that government in 2015. The most recent account of the team's work is contained at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-public-services-2014-progress-reportAll Government Departments work to deliver public services which respond to individual choices and people’s real life complex needs, whilst relentlessly focusing on improvements in quality.

Department for International Development

Islamic State: Genocide

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding has been provided to the (a) Kurdistan Regional Government Peshmerga, (b) Kurdish government in Northern Syria and (c) Yazidi community to (i) gather evidence of alleged acts of genocide and (ii) support displaced persons in refugee camps.

James Wharton: Since June 2014, DFID has committed £129.5 million in humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable internally displaced people in Iraq, including Yezidis and those living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. To date, the UK has pledged over £2.3 billion in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region. Our support is reaching vulnerable and displaced Syrians, including those living in areas controlled by Kurdish groups. On 21 July the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will lead a global campaign to hold Daesh to account for its crimes. In Iraq, the Foreign Office has funded projects to support the documentation of Daesh crimes and preservation of evidence. In Syria, UK funding supports a range of NGO partners to compile case files of evidence of atrocities approximating to International Criminal Court (ICC) standards. DFID has not provided funding to the Peshmerga, or to the governing authorities in Kurdish-dominated parts of Syria.

Department for Education

Adult Education: Qualifications

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review proposed arrangements for the non-examined assessment  elements of new GCSEs and A-level examinations to enable adult learners who wish to sit those qualifications as private candidates to do so.

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the examination boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland collect data on the number of private candidates who sit GCSE and A-Level examinations.

Nick Gibb: These questions are a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write directly to the Hon. Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House libraries.

University Technical Colleges

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish updated guidance on opening a university technical college.

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the next application round for university technical colleges will open.

Robert Halfon: Each University Technical College (UTC) application round opens with the publication of the ‘University Technical Colleges How to Apply Guide’, which sets out the application window for each round. The next How to Apply Guide will be published in due course.

University Technical Colleges

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students attend university technical colleges.

Robert Halfon: According to published census data (January 2016), 9,203 pupils were on roll in the University Technical Colleges (UTCs) open in the 2015/16 academic year. Figures for the number of pupils enrolled in each UTC are available in the underlying data of the Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2016 statistics, which are available from here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2016. For UTCs, the data is contained in the file SFR20_2016_Schools_Pupils_UD.csv. The type of establishment is given in column O and headcount figures can be found in column DW. The figures for the numbers of pupils on roll in each UTC for the academic year 2016/17 are not yet available. We anticipate publishing this data in June 2017.

University Technical Colleges

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many university technical colleges are (a) open and (b) planned in England in the next five years.

Robert Halfon: There are currently 47 open University Technical Colleges (UTCs). A further seven UTCs are in development, which plan to open from September 2017.

Teachers: Qualifications

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers in secondary schools are teaching subjects in which they do not have (a) a degree, (b) an A-Level and (c) an O-Level or GCSE at grade C or above for each subject taught.

Nick Gibb: The information is not available in the format requested. The Department publishes statistics which show the proportion of teachers teaching subjects in which they have a relevant post-A Level qualification in state funded secondary schools in England. The latest statistics are provided in Table 12 of the statistical first release ‘School Workforce in England, November 2015’, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2015

Ministry of Justice

Prison Service: Uniforms

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effect on the self-esteem of female prison officers of having to wear a uniform.

Mr Sam Gyimah: All prison officers working in public sector prisons and young offender institutions are required to wear uniform as part of their conditions of service. Uniform is provided partly as a security measure to aid the immediate identification of staff. There has been no assessment of the self-esteem of either female or male officers in being required to wear uniform.

Remand in Custody: Domestic Violence

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of (i) men and (ii) women were refused bail and remanded in custody when the alleged offence related to an incident involving domestic violence in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Sam Gyimah: This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Bail

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders in each offence category were released on post-conviction bail by Crown Courts in each of the last three years; and (a) how many and (b) in what proportion of such cases the offender received a custodial sentence.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Robust and reliable information on post-conviction remand status of offenders convicted at the Crown Court is not centrally held, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Supervision Orders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of offenders who breached a Supervision Default Order were (i) sent to prison and (ii) not sent to prison since the introduction of such Orders.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of offenders who have been taken to court for breaching their post sentence supervision were (i) fined, (ii) given a Supervision Default Order, (iii) committed to prison and (iv) had no action taken against them since the introduction of such supervision.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of offenders who breached their post sentence supervision have been taken to court since the introduction of such supervision.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014, which introduced post sentence supervision for those serving short custodial sentences, applies to offences committed on or after 1 February 2015. Statistics on the number of offenders starting post sentence supervision and the number of offenders committed to custody for breach of post sentence supervision conditions is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/541247/probation-q1-2016.xlsx.

Prisons: Education

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to expand education in prisons to reduce reoffending rates and improve life chances for offenders returning to their communities.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Prisons should be places of safety and reform. I am determined to make sure that we achieve better outcomes for prisoners in employment, education and health. Fewer than half the people entering prisons have basic standards of English and Maths and around a third have identified learning difficulties or disabilities. This is a huge problem because we know that low levels of education can prevent people from securing jobs on release and leading law abiding lives. On 15 September the Prime Minister announced the transfer of adult prison education in England to the Ministry of Justice from the Department for Education from 1 October. I would like to see governors having more responsibility for delivering education and being held to account for the outcomes prisoners achieve.

Breast Ironing: Prosecutions

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many successful prosecutions have been made for cases involving breast ironing in each of the last five years.

Dr Phillip Lee: The information is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence

Kurds: Military Aid

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with the Kurdistan regional government on support for its army in tackling Daesh.

Mike Penning: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 September 2016.The correct answer should have been:

The British Defence Attaché in Baghdad and Defence Advisor in Erbil regularly discuss these issues with representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government and Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. I will discuss these issues with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government during my forthcoming visit to the region. The UK is steadfastly supporting the Kurdish Peshmerga as they fight, alongside other Iraqi forces, to defeat Daesh in Iraq. The UK has trained more than 6,000 Kurdish Peshmerga in infantry fighting skills, gifted 1,000 Vallon counter-IED detectors, provided more than 50 tonnes of non-lethal support, 40 heavy machine guns, nearly half a million rounds of ammunition and £600,000 worth of military equipment. We have also delivered over 300 tonnes of weapons and ammunition on behalf of other Coalition nations. In addition, the Kurdish Peshmerga benefit from RAF intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance capability and airstrikes - Tornado, Typhoon and Reaper have flown more than 3,000 missions in Iraq, carrying out over 1,000 successful strikes against Daesh targets, and in support of Iraqi forces.

Mike Penning: The British Defence Attaché in Baghdad and Defence Advisor in Erbil regularly discuss these issues with representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government and Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. I will discuss these issues with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government during my forthcoming visit to the region. The UK is steadfastly supporting the Kurdish Peshmerga as they fight, alongside other Iraqi forces, to defeat Daesh in Iraq. The UK has trained more than 6,000 Kurdish Peshmerga in infantry fighting skills, gifted 1,000 Vallon counter-IED detectors, provided more than 50 tonnes of non-lethal support, 40 heavy machine guns, nearly half a million rounds of ammunition and £600,000 worth of military equipment. We have also delivered over 300 tonnes of weapons and ammunition on behalf of other Coalition nations. In addition, the Kurdish Peshmerga benefit from RAF intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance capability and airstrikes - Tornado, Typhoon and Reaper have flown more than 3,000 missions in Iraq, carrying out over 1,000 successful strikes against Daesh targets, and in support of Iraqi forces.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Planning Permission

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many Development Consent Orders for (a) energy and (b) transport projects his Department considered in each year since 2009-10 in each region; and how many such orders were (i) accepted and (ii) rejected by him.

Gavin Barwell: Following the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission by the Localism Act 2011, decisions on whether to grant development consent for energy projects have been made by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (formerly the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) and transport projects have been decided by the Secretary of State for Transport. Prior to decision making powers being transferred to the Secretary of State by the Localism Act 2011, the Infrastructure Planning Commission determined one application for development consent for an energy project, granting consent in 2011.

HM Treasury

Biotechnology and Drugs: Industry

Chris Green: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Chancellor steps up industry engagement, published on 7 September 2016, what plans he has to engage with the bio-tech and pharmaceutical industry as part of that industry engagement.

Mr David Gauke: The Treasury regularly engages with businesses from all sectors and values the opportunity to hear their views. Over the next month, the Chancellor will be meeting with over 80 representatives from businesses of all sizes, and from a wide variety of sectors and regions, including the bio-tech and pharmaceutical industry.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Staff

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many trade negotiators his Department plans to employ by the end of the current fiscal year.

Mr Robin Walker: Britain has been at the forefront of the free trade-supporting countries in the EU for the last 40 years. The Department for Exiting the EU now has over 200 staff plus the expertise of over 120 officials in Brussels, and is growing fast. The overall size and scope of the new Department, including staffing and budget, are regularly reviewed. We will ensure we are appropriately staffed to deal with all aspects of the forthcoming negotiation.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Research

Natalie McGarry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which reports commissioned by his Department from external bodies between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2016 have not yet been published; when each report was commissioned for research; what the nature of the research commissioned was; from which external body or individual person the research was commissioned; what the value was of each such piece of research commissioned; on what date each report was received by his Department; for what reasons the research has not yet been published; and when he plans to publish each report.

Greg Hands: Between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2016 the Department for International Trade (former UK Trade and Investment, Business, Innovation and Skills Trade Policy Group and UK Export Finance) commissioned 21 studies to external organisations which have not yet been published. The table attached contains the details. Information with regards to the value of the project cannot be disclosed until the projects are completed.



Studies to external organisations
(Word Document, 17.88 KB)

Department of Health

Junior Doctors: Pay

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a comparative assessment of the level of proposed weekend pay under the new junior doctors' contract with weekend pay for (a) prison officers, (b) fire fighters, (c) police officers, (d) call centre workers, (e) consultants and (f) nurses, midwives and physios.

Mr Philip Dunne: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 September 2016.The correct answer should have been:

Junior doctors already work weekends, and they will continue to be fairly rewarded for work undertaken at the weekend using the weekend allowance proposed by the British Medical Association negotiators. Comparative rates are set out in the attached table below. Because of the allowance based approach to weekend working, the effective hourly rate juniors are paid will vary depending on how many hours they work over how many weekends. In almost all cases junior doctors will receive weekend pay better than other National Health Service professional staff. A typical rota for a junior doctor involves an average of 6.5 hours a week being worked at weekends. (i.e. they work two long shifts of 13 hours every four weekends). This is split evenly over Saturdays and Sundays and includes night work. For working those weekend hours the percentage hourly supplement across all the hours worked for different groups of NHS staff would be- 66% for a junior doctor (37% for night work plus an additional 7.5% weekend allowance set as a percentage of basic pay)- 56% for a band 3 Health Care Assistant (37% for Saturday, 74% for Sunday)- 45% for a nurse (30% for Saturday, 60% for Sunday)- 33% for a consultant PaymentJunior doctorsWeekend night shifts ending by 10am. Time plus 37%. Weekend allowance - + 10% 1in2 - + 7.5% - + 6% - + 4% - + 3% - No allowanceConsultants4hour Programmed Activity is reduced to 3 hours, effectively Time + 33%NursesTime + 30% Saturday time +60% SundayPrison officers *Time + 17%  Firefighters *Shift duty covers shifts 24 hours, 7 days. No premiaPolice Officers *Time plus 10% for nights only (8pm-6am)Call centre workers *Between Time + 5% and Time + 40% *Income Data Services study



Comparative Pay Rates PQ45817
(Word Document, 15.43 KB)

Mr Philip Dunne: Junior doctors already work weekends, and they will continue to be fairly rewarded for work undertaken at the weekend using the weekend allowance proposed by the British Medical Association negotiators. Comparative rates are set out in the attached table below. Because of the allowance based approach to weekend working, the effective hourly rate juniors are paid will vary depending on how many hours they work over how many weekends. In almost all cases junior doctors will receive weekend pay better than other National Health Service professional staff. A typical rota for a junior doctor involves an average of 6.5 hours a week being worked at weekends. (i.e. they work two long shifts of 13 hours every four weekends). This is split evenly over Saturdays and Sundays and includes night work. For working those weekend hours the percentage hourly supplement across all the hours worked for different groups of NHS staff would be- 66% for a junior doctor (37% for night work plus an additional 7.5% weekend allowance set as a percentage of basic pay)- 56% for a band 3 Health Care Assistant (37% for Saturday, 74% for Sunday)- 45% for a nurse (30% for Saturday, 60% for Sunday)- 33% for a consultant PaymentJunior doctorsWeekend night shifts ending by 10am. Time plus 37%. Weekend allowance - + 10% 1in2 - + 7.5% - + 6% - + 4% - + 3% - No allowanceConsultants4hour Programmed Activity is reduced to 3 hours, effectively Time + 33%NursesTime + 30% Saturday time +60% SundayPrison officers *Time + 17%  Firefighters *Shift duty covers shifts 24 hours, 7 days. No premiaPolice Officers *Time plus 10% for nights only (8pm-6am)Call centre workers *Between Time + 5% and Time + 40% *Income Data Services study



Comparative Pay Rates PQ45817
(Word Document, 15.43 KB)

Hospitals: Discharges

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will consider setting up a system of Finnish-style care packages for elderly people leaving hospital and going into care homes.

Oliver Dowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will consider reinstating clothing grants for care homes for elderly residents who have just arrived from hospital.

David Mowat: Despite a welcome shift towards more care provision in community settings, our ageing population means a growing number of people require care in care and nursing homes, with an increasing level of acuity and complexity of need. The Enhanced Health in Care Homes vanguards, implemented by NHS England, are beginning to show how addressing this inequity in access to services can reduce unnecessary, unplanned and avoidable admissions to hospital, shorten the length of hospital stays and improve peoples’ quality of life, wellbeing and clinical outcomes. NHS England is also leading the multi-agency Community Services and Hospital Discharge programme, which will deliver a series of interventions to transform community services and improve discharge of older people from hospital. These include initiatives such as “discharge to assess”, which will increase the number of patients who are discharged quickly and safely to their usual place of residence. The Department is not aware of a clothing grant for people who enter care homes and is therefore unable to consider reinstatement. Where a local authority arranges care and support to meet an adult’s eligible needs, it may charge them. Where care is arranged in a care home, a local authority must not, through charges, reduce the adult’s income below the Personal Expenses Allowance of £24.90 per week. The allowance means that local authority supported care home residents have money to spend as they wish on personal items, including clothing. It must not be spent on meeting their eligible care needs. Local authorities have discretion to be more generous where they think this would be appropriate.

Learning Disability

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his policy that community services for people with learning disabilities should employ people with learning disabilities to provide those services.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff with learning difficulties are currently employed by each Transforming Care team.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on encouraging Transforming Care teams to employ people with learning disabilities to help deliver services.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department holds on the number of people with learning disabilities who are employed in (a) day centres, (b) care homes and (c) schools and colleges.

David Mowat: The Government is committed to increasing the number of people with learning disabilities employed across the full range of National Health Service organisations. NHS Employers and NHS England have a range of tools and guidance to support organisations to increase their recruitment of people with learning disabilities, including providing real examples of jobs currently being done. People with learning disabilities bring their own expertise, personal experience and knowledge to roles. As such, roles that can specifically draw on this experience should be considered.Further information on the NHS Learning Disability Employment Programme is available on NHS England’s website at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/gov/equality-hub/ld-emp-prog/

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients: Learning Disability

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with learning disabilities who have been sectioned have accessible information about their rights.

David Mowat: The Department commissioned some resources for people with learning disabilities to support the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice to explain the Mental Health Act and people’s rights within it. This included a number of easy read factsheets which stated the type of information that should be provided when someone is sectioned. This includes what health professionals should and should not do, and what a person’s rights and choices are in this situation. The fact sheets are available at: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/mental-health-services-explained/Pages/easy-read-mental-health-act.aspx

Health Services: Learning Disability

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the quality of the implementation of the Quality Toolkit developed by NHS England to assess health services provided to people with learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

David Mowat: NHS England is developing the Quality Checkers toolkits which ensure people with learning disabilities design and create the tools to measure the quality of the services they access. The first two toolkits for general practice and dentistry have been completed and are being piloted in four areas in England. There will be a full evaluation of their effectiveness when the pilot sites report in March 2017.

NHS: Drugs

Sir Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will assess the additional costs to the NHS if Israeli-owned or Israeli-based companies were banned from supplying generic medicines to the NHS.

David Mowat: We do not routinely collect information on where pharmaceutical manufacturers are based, or whether they have connections with particular countries. Any company with the necessary regulatory authorisations can supply medicines to the National Health Service. However, some 100 million prescription items for medicines used in the community in England are estimated to come from companies based in Israel. This includes some medicines where one of these companies will be the main supplier. Banning these supplies would most likely cause significant shortages of some medicines important for patient health and have a significant impact on competition and in all likelihood increase prices paid by the NHS.